Sticking Together
by KiliAndFili
Summary: Slight AU (more in later chapters) about Fili, Kili, and the rest of the dwarves (and Bilbo of course!) A new dwarf is sent to join the company by Gandalf, who has a past with several of the dwarves. They have a history with elves, though, earning them hatred from a few companions. Plenty of hurt/comfort and brotherly love, slight Kili/OC if you want to look at it that way.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Just a few quick notes, then we'll be on our way.**

**This is my first fic, usually I write original stories but they're usually abandoned. Hopefully that won't happen with this one!**

**This is a slight AU (more in the later chapters) featuring our favorite dwarves, Fili and Kili. I, of course, jumped on the bandwagon and threw another character I made up in there. Just because I can. ;)**

**I try to fact check, but there will still be things I change on purpose. So just keep that in mind. :)**

**Lastly, I have school and ride horses, so usually I'm pretty busy with that. I have a few shows coming up soon as well as a young pony I have to prepare for it. I have about 7 more chapters typed up and ready, so I'll try to update every other day or something like that. Chapter lengths will vary, though, but they're mostly 1.1k-1.3k words each.**

**Enough with the rambling. Hope you all enjoy! Make sure you tell me what you think of it!**

* * *

Kili walked beside Fili, while Thorin led the company across the ridge. Kili's palms were bleeding from the climb up the forty foot rock face, the sharp rocks slicing his palms. He wiped the blood absently on his cloak, before inspecting his wounds. They were shallow, but stung painfully. Fili noticed this, and grabbed his left wrist, inspecting it. He frowned.

"I'm fine, Fili," He said, pulling his hand away. Fili shot him a look, shaking his head and sighing. Kili playfully nudged his shoulder, saying that he didn't mean it in a bad way. It was still early in the morning, but it felt like they had been walking forever. Bombur trudged on in front of them, grumbling and shielding his eyes against the sun. Bofur was chattering away, oblivious to his kin's complaints, swinging his pickaxe.

"And then, I walked straight into the biggest patch of thorn bushes I've ever seen! Can ye believe that, brother? It was bigger than the one back home, and you would've thunk that it was the biggest, since father complained about it sometimes," he beamed, nudging Bombur. "I'm just lucky my pony ran around it!"

Kili snorted. While on any other day the pointless story would have bored him, even annoyed him, the company was short on good stories to tell. The trek had drained them, even though they were only a few days in. He assumed they would get used to it, but it was even harder after their ponies all ran off the previous day.

"Did they have any berries?" Bombur asked.

"Oh, aye, yes. The juiciest blackberries I've ever had! Too bad the birds had gotten there first."

A howl pierced the air, and Thorin abruptly stopped. "Draw your swords!" He yelled, and the dwarves all held swords, axes, and in Kili's case, a bow with an arrow at the ready. The first warg crested the hill, catching sight of them and galloping their way. "Kili! Get him out!"

The command came from his uncle, and as soon as the beast was in range, Kili fired. It caught the warg in the eye, sending it skittering to the ground as more came running towards them. There weren't many, only about six, and only two had riders. One with a rider set its sights on the brothers who were standing ready. Kili fired at the rider, knocking the orc off.

Kili had replaced his bow with his sword, and he and Fili both raked their blades down the warg's sides. Black blood coated the ground, but the larger-than-normal warg seemed unfazed. It turned and faced them growling, showing exposed yellow teeth.

It barreled into Fili, knocking him off his feet, onto the ground against a rock. His brother screamed, the warg seizing his leg in his jaws. It started dragging him away from the boulder, oblivious to the cliff a few feet behind it. Kili leapt forwards, slashing at its legs, but it only barely stumbled. Fili was clawing at it, trying to stop it, for he saw the danger behind them. His brother kicked with his free leg, but the jaws didn't loosen.

Kili's hand found his brothers for a split second, but then the warg reached the edge. It yelped, not loosening its death grip on the dwarf. Its hind legs went over and it was left scrabbling at the rocky surface with its front paws, breaking off chunks of stone. Fili tightened his grip on Kili's hand and kicked out, but the weight of the massive warg was too much.

His hand sprang open as the whole wolf went over, and Kili watched them plummet to the ground in horror. Fili landed on top of the warg rather than the boulder the creature had, but he rolled off and was unmoving. The warg was, however, and limped over, and Kili could hear the growls over the noise at his level. He pulled a throwing axe out from under his tunic and took aim, throwing it. It sliced through the air and embedded itself in the warg's skull, causing it to go limp on the ground.

Only one warg remained, and was taken down by Dwalin and Bifur. The others were standing around, checking each other for wounds. Thorin was helping the older Balin to his feet after a tumble off a rock.

"Thorin!" Kili called, his voice cracking with worry. His uncle looked up, his hair falling into his face. "Get the ropes!"

"Where's Fili?!" He demanded, running over, and looking down beside Kili. "In Durin's name... DORI GET THOSE ROPES!"

Dori bustled over, tripping over the ropes, and most of the dwarves ran over as well. Thorin wrapped his hands in the rope while Dori and Dwalin began to lower him, and his uncle disappeared over the ledge. After a minute or two, Kili climbed on and began to slide down, kicking off the uneven rock face has his hands picked up the rough fibers of the rope, stinging his cuts from the climb up.

He dropped off while there were five feet left, stumbling onto the warg and then hurrying over to his brother. He was unconscious but alive, and blood began to soak through the heavy layers of pants and other clothing on his leg. Thorin was bent over his head, muttering things that Kili couldn't make out.

"We need to get him back up," his uncle said quietly, stroking Fili's blonde hair. Kili nodded in agreement, not knowing what he should do. It was always Fili who did that, Kili just went along. "The two of us will break the rope. Go up with him first, and I'll follow. Here, take him like this..." Thorin and Kili heaved Fili to his feet, carrying him over to the rope. Kili got a firm grip on him and the rope, his cut hands wrapped tightly and his feet wound in it.

Dori started pulling and Kili bumped against the rock, not minding as long as Fili was safe. His brother's head rested against his shoulder, and he leaned his face into his hair, breathing in. His hand started to slip when they almost reached the top, blisters bursting open and the fibers digging into his cuts.

They finally reached solid ground, and collapsed down onto it. Bofur gently moved Fili away from the edge, Kili close behind. He leaned over his brother while all the other dwarves crowded around, except for Dori, Dwalin, and Thorin. Kili wound his hands in his brother's hair, feeling the life in him as Thorin bustled over. He carefully slid his pants up, which were covered in blood, revealing his bare leg.

It was covered in two neat rows of tooth marks, several turning into gashes, probably from the warg's grip slipping. The flesh around it was red, and Thorin said it was burning hot to touch.

"It'll get infected," Kili murmured, stroking his brother's face. Thorin sighed and shook his head, looking defeated. He knew all too well that the only people who could help were the elves in Rivendell. "We have to, uncle."

"I am not going to give my nephew to elves!" He snapped, sitting back on his heels. Fili stirred underneath him, and Kili bent down to whisper into his ear, but his brother still kept his eyes closed.

There was rustling in the nearby forest, and the dwarves all formed a protective barrier around the three, drawing their weapons against the new threat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry about the long wait! Silly horse got her leg stuck into a fence being the idiot she is and it's pretty bad. That plus school left me no time, but this weekend I'll update daily! I know it's boring and a bit cliche in the first few chapters, angst to start soon.**

* * *

Kili couldn't see what was there from his position on the ground, but Thorin rose, one hand on Orcrist. The dwarves let him through and all that Kili could see was feet.

He heard Thorin's voice, but couldn't make out what he was saying. Several dwarves grumbled and protested, and Kili could only guess what was happening and who the newcomer was. Fili moaned and Kili turned away from the distraction to comfort him as he shifted his position a bit.

The dwarves parted, and Thorin shoved his way through them, a relieved look on his face despite the circumstances. Following him was a young female dwarf, about Kili's age, leading a grey pony. Her hair was pulled behind her head in tight braids, and she wore furs and leather, two swords strapped on her side and a bow on her back.

"That's him," Thorin murmured, nodding towards the unconscious dwarf. The newcomer knelt down, reaching out and putting a hand gently on his leg.

Kili tightened his hold on his brother. "Don't touch him," he growled, pulling Fili onto his lap. "Who are you?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but Thorin was faster. "Surely you remember her? She is Ronan, daughter of Goran. She lived in the Blue Mountains for a brief amount of time, and you enjoyed playing with each other."

Kili distantly remembered. She had the blonde locks that his younger self confused for Fili's, and he often confused them in his younger years.

"I'm not going to hurt him, Kili. You can trust me," she murmured, and he reluctantly let her tend to his wounds. Fili flinched at her touch and he found his brother beginning to wake up, wincing against the bright sunlight.

"Kili..." he groaned, reaching out for him. He caught his hand and held it to his heart.

"It's okay, Fili. You're going to be fine."

"It hurts." He winced, trying to sit up and watch Ronan, but Kili pushed him down. Fili had always been the better comforter, and Kili found himself awkwardly whispering reassurances and stroking his hair.

"Thorin, there should be a green jar in the left back pocket of my saddle bag," she said, and Thorin rose and went over to the pony, who was munching on some grass. A minute later Thorin handed the jar to her and she opened it, dipped her fingers inside, and pulled out a brownish glob. She handed the jar back to Thorin and leaned over Fili, gingerly rubbing the goop onto his scratched leg. She paused halfway up, frowning, then continued.

Fili relaxed in Kili's grip, making a satisfied sound. "That's nice," he said, and Ronan wiped the leftover substance onto the ground and crawled up to Fili's head.

"Long time no see," she smiled, leaning over his head and looking into his eyes. Kili noticed with a jolt that they had changed from being blue to a dark brown, almost black.

"Ronan," he whispered, a smile lighting up his face. Several dwarves murmured, but others stamped away.

"Hey, Fili," she murmured. She then leaned over to Kili and whispered in his ear, "At least _he_ remembers me."

He chuckled, lightly hitting her shoulder. From what he got from her in those few minutes, he knew that he would get along with her. If only she could stay. Ronan moved back down to his leg and pulled some bandages out of the saddle bags and began wrapping the wounds, which had soaked in her medicine and almost stopped bleeding. He would have to ask her where she got it from.

"He was bitten by a Gundabad warg," she said, straightening up. "His leg is infected, but my medicine should have drawn that out. It's broken though." Kili sucked in a breath, and Fili stiffened below him. "But it's not bad, I promise. It should heal fairly quickly. I have done all I can. Fili may ride my pony until he can walk again."

"What? She can't go with us!" Gloin protested, stepping forward, but he was silenced by Thorin.

"I have known her since she was young. I was good friends with his father before he died in the same battle that took Thror. Gandalf sent her to join us – she possesses many skills you lack." He barked, and then seemed to calm down a bit. "Our Company of fourteen is now fifteen."

There were more protests, and Ronan ducked her head, embarrassed. "Let's get him onto the pony," she said quietly, and Kili nodded. Together, they heaved him to his feet and helped carry him to the pony, lifting him up into the saddle. Everyone else fretted and mumbled while they adjusted the tack.

Thorin led the way, with the three staying in the middle. Fili chatted with Ronan a bit, while Kili was out in his own world, raking through his childhood memories of Ronan. He could only remember a laughing face and a furious Thorin, who later slipped them all an extra pastry from Dis' platter.

"Laddie, don't be frettin' now," Bofur chirped, sauntering up next to him. "I know ye don't remember her that well, but her father and I were best mates."

She smiled a little bit, but it fell flat when there was a howl of a warg. More wargs! They just couldn't get away from them lately.

There were only three this time, with one orc. Ronan swiftly pulled out her bow and took out the orc, then strung another arrow and hit the warg. It stumbled, and by the time Kili managed to string one and shoot, his arrow took it down.

Ronan, Bofur, and himself formed a protective circle around Fili, who had drawn one of his own swords. Kili could only guess how unhappy he was not being able to fight, being stuck on a pony instead.

Thorin met the first one with a furious swing, slicing its neck open. But since they were also Gundabad wargs, known for being strong, large, and hard to kill, it hardly faltered. Dwalin, Bifur, Oin, and Dori started hacking up the other while Nori and Bombur joined Thorin.

It was getting dark, and when they were confident they travelled far enough from the scene of the battle, Thorin sent Ori, Fili, and Kili out to scout for a cave in the field of rocks. Kili led the pony while Ori ducked behind various boulders, seeing if there were any openings large enough for the dwarves and a pony. About two miles from the rest of the company, he found one, and left the brothers there while he ran back to the others, armed with his slingshot.

Kili helped his brother off the pony, gently moving him so that he sat against the wall of the cave. Fili leaned his head back on the rock, closing his eyes. Kili knew that he was supposed to be making a fire, but he settled down next to his brother and put a hand on his thigh. His brother leaned on him a bit, his head lolling down against his. Kili inspected his blisters and cuts, flexing his fingers. He decided he'd clean them later after he had fresh water.

The pony nosed Fili's shoulder, as if to see if he was all right. He absently reached up and rubbed the grey and pink nose, and the pony stood there. "Go make a fire," Fili slurred sleepily, gently pushing his brother away. "You don't want Thorin to be angry on a day like this."

Kili sighed, knowing his brother was right, before heaving himself to his aching feet. He found a dead tree a few yards from the mouth of the cave, so he sawed off a few branches. He kicked himself for leaving his good axe in the warg as he used his sword. He dragged the wood to the mouth of the cave and dug his flint and steel from his pack as the rest of the dwarves arrived and the sun sank lower on the horizon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry about the short chapters, they'll get longer soon. Along with more action, this is just mainly Ronan's story and boringness (I guess). But still, enjoy! **

* * *

Oin and Gloin shooed Kili away, taking over the fire, mumbling about young dwarves and their immaturity. Thorin shot them a glance, since very few had dared to insult his nephews. Fili looked up at his brother, a smile tugging on one side of his lips. The elder dwarves shut up and all Kili could do is shake his head and sit back down.

Ronan was talking quietly with Thorin outside of the cave, looking uncomfortable. "Do you remember her?" Fili asked, noticing that he was watching them.

"Not really. I remember the name and the face. That's about it."

Fili smiled, putting a hand on Kili's leg and squeezing. "You'll get along just fine. She's like a female version of you." Kili glanced at him. "Well, she was at least. We used to always play pranks on Dis and uncle Thorin. I mean, our version of pranking back then was spooking them, since you were too young to do much." That statement earned him a shove. "Sorry, sorry! We got a kick out of it anyway though."

Fili closed his eyes again. "Then she just left. With her mother – her father died in Azanulbizar – and the rest of their little group. There were about fifteen of them. The only other thing we've heard of them was that they got ambushed by the Iron Hills by orcs, and nothing more."

"I travelled with my mother, that was true," Ronan said, sitting by Bofur. "The orcs kept me prisoner after they killed everyone else, including my brother and mother. I don't know how long they had me. It must have been years." She clutched her cup with both hands, looking down at what was inside it; all the dwarves were listening by now. "They kept me tied to a warg while they did all their dirty work."

"How did you escape?" Bombur asked, gnawing on some jerky.

"Elves," she whispered, so quietly Kili almost couldn't hear it. Thorin made a face. "We were in the elves' forest. They killed my warg and untied me. I was too weak to fight back, I would have if I could. The king, Thranduil, and his son, Legolas, taught me everything I know about medicine and fighting."

Thorin turned away, disgusted. Even Kili couldn't believe what she said – according to his uncle, elves were terrible beings, and would kill anything they could. Thranduil even refused to help the dwarves when Smaug took over Erebor!

"As soon as they thought that I could fend for myself, they gave me my pony and let me go," she finished quietly.

"I don't believe a word of it!" Dori piped up, and his brother Nori agreed. Their youngest brother, who happened to be poor Ori, shrank back in the shadows. More started accusations, and Ronan pulled her knees up to her chest. Balin whispered something into her ear, comforting her as only he could.

Fili eventually fell asleep, still leaning on Kili. He gently moved him so that his brother was laying, his head resting on his arm. The rest of the dwarves soon settled down, Thorin taking first watch and Balin volunteering for the second. Kili lay closely to his brother, enjoying the feeling of his warm body, and vowed that nothing would touch his brother ever again.

* * *

Thorin sat, his back against the entrance to the cave, watching the smoke from his pipe swirl up into the sky. The dwarves snored lightly around him – _lightly _applied for all but Kili, who sounded extremely constipated.

He sighed, exhausted from the day. Fili had scared him out of his wits, and Ronan's sudden arrival shocked him. He had believed that she was dead for years. He still couldn't wrap his head around her story, and figure out why Thranduil and the other elves took her in and saved her life. He still had to appreciate her, though. Her parents were killed, she was taken in by orcs, babysat by a warg, then lived with the elf-filth...

He prodded Dwalin awake when his watch ended, causing the dwarf to grumble. He shushed him and moved deeper into the cave. Kili had covered Fili with his thick cloak, so his youngest nephew was shivering beside him. Thorin took off his own fur coat and covered him with it, then laid down a few feet from Fili.

* * *

Kili woke from yet another nightmare, grasping at the fur that covered him. The scent of his uncle immediately comforted him, as did Fili next to him.

He noticed Ronan curled up against the wall opposite of them, awake and shivering.

"Ronan!" He whispered, and their eyes met. "You can come over here if you want... its closer to the fire..." He knew she could probably see through his lie, but she crawled over anyway. He received a small smile as she settled down beside him. Kili draped the cloak over her as well, and she moved closer to him. He watched as her breathing slowed, her mouth open a bit, relaxed. The blonde stubble, much like Kili's but a bit thicker, bordered her mouth.

He could tell she was different. Good or bad he did not know, but her presence made him feel odd. He closed his eyes, trying not to think of it, and drifted off to sleep again.

* * *

Fili woke in the morning, predawn light flooding the cavern. Only Oin, Gloin, and Dwalin were up, illuminated at the entrance.

His leg throbbed, but he heaved himself to his feet, leaning on the wall for support. He took an experimental step forward with his bad leg, and let out a hiss of pain when he put weight on it.

"You shouldn't be walking."

Thorin's deep voice started Fili, and he sighed.

"Sit, and I'll bring you something to eat." His uncle rose and Fili sank back down into Kili's coat, which had covered him during the night. He shoved his brother hard in the process on accident, but he didn't stir. It was impossible for Kili to wake, the only time he did was when he had one of his nightmares.

Thorin somehow managed to find some rabbit that he prepared in the coals of the fire, and brought it over to him. He took it thankfully while Thorin sat back down and Dwalin took to waking up the rest of the dwarves, since the leader was awake. Bilbo took care of the pony.

Ronan woke up and the first thing she did was step over Kili like he was a log and looked at Fili's leg. She pulled his boot off his swollen leg and he wondered if it would ever go back on. After she rolled up his pants, to his relief he saw that her medicine had almost completely healed the scratches. The flesh was bruised though, making ugly colors.

"Give me your hand," she said, and he reached forward. She took it in hers, and passed it gently over his leg, where the worst of the bruising was. He felt a slight bump under the skin.

"Is that where it's broken?" He asked, and she nodded, rolling his pants back down. He gritted his teeth as it took both Ronan and Thorin to get his boot back on, the leather tight around his leg. Kili was still dead to the world beside them, and Thorin swept his coat off of him and was prodding him with the toe of his boot.

"This should be fun," Fili muttered as Ronan helped him to his feet. She helped him onto the pony both he and Bilbo had grown quite fond of, while his uncle took waking up his brother into his own hands. He began yelling, causing Kili to wake. He was momentarily confused, being uncovered with nobody next to him. His eyes searched desperately for Fili, and when they landed on him astride the pony, he calmed down.

The scrambled up, gathering his belongings. Ronan laughed, receiving a sharp glare from Kili, but he started laughing as well. Starting the day in high spirits was always good, especially with grouchy dwarves and someone injured.

They set off, Kili leading the pony with Ronan trailing behind a bit. Everyone was on edge, listening for the telltale sign of wargs. They trekked on, making a wide loop around Rivendell, heading towards the Misty Mountains.


	4. Chapter 4

**This is mainly fluff, action and hurt in the next chapter!**

**Several notes before this: I know Frerin was already dead in the battle, but I decided to have him die here to hit a little more painfully on our boys. Dis has no death date listed (that I can find in the Appendixes), so I killed her as well. **

**This is mainly from the movie, the scene of the first night they spent together, but I moved it back to here because it would've happened before the first chapter of this and I wanted to write the story. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Bofur led them in singing, lighthearted songs that evoked much laughter and shouts. Thorin grumbled about this beside Fili and Kili, claiming that it could attract wargs and orcs. When they got into the mountains, they would have to remain unknown to the goblins that resided in the mountains.

"Cheer up, uncle! It's not every day we can sing." Kili said, trying to cheer his uncle up. He knew Thorin would refuse to give in, but he felt the need to say something.

"I'd rather it be any other day than this one," he grumbled, glancing around the plain. "We're too exposed out there."

While he knew this uncle had a point, Kili joined in singing, off key in a terrible voice. He could actually sing quite well if he wanted to, but he felt too elated to do that. He was out on the journey, stretching his legs, with his two favorite people, being his brother and uncle. Fili would be fine, and Kili himself was healthy and full of energy.

Thorin sighed when Fili joined in merrily, and soon everyone but Thorin was in high spirits. Kili knew better than to insist for him to join in, even though he wished that his uncle would have a little fun for once in a while and stop worrying.

The pony tossed its head, and then started nibbling on Kili's blue cloak. He pulled the thick fabric away, but the pony only went back for more. Fili encouraged it, laughing, so Kili allowed it. The brothers seemed to forget, if only then, that they were nearing the mountains and leaving safety.

* * *

They camped at the base of the mountain. Thorin sat, leaning against a tree, smoking his pipe. Fili and Kili were still awake as well, sitting against a large rock wall. Fili had his pipe clamped in his mouth, while Kili was carving more designs and runes into his bow with a knife. Thorin had given him the new bow right before the journey, for his birthday. The plain, polished wood was finely curved and fashioned, custom for his nephew.

Thorin shifted his position, finding a comfortable place in the cradle made by the roots. He wrapped his cloak tighter around him as the chill started to pick at him.

Bilbo sat up suddenly, looking around, distraught. Fili and Kili looked up at the sudden movement, and then returned to what they were doing. Thorin's eldest nephew had his injured leg stretched out in front of him, blowing small smoke rings into the night.

Bilbo stood and wandered to the pony, slipping it a treat from his pocket. He started at several distant screeches and screams, and Fili and Kili's heads popped back up.

"What was that?" He stuttered, scampering away back to the sleeping dwarves.

"Orcs," Kili muttered quietly with disgust, gripping his knife tighter.

"Orcs?!" Bilbo asked.

"Oh, yes." Fili said quietly, and Thorin strained to make it out. "Legions of 'em. There be dozens of 'em out there."

Bilbo shivered. "They attack quick and quiet, in the middle of the night when everyone's asleep," Kili added. "No screams, just lots of blood."

The brothers exchanged a glance, then quietly laughed and shook their heads.

Thorin felt the need to say something. "You think that's funny?" He asked his nephews. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

Kili glanced around, embarrassed. "We didn't mean anything by it."

"No, you didn't." Thorin walked away from the sleeping dwarves, stopping next to the pony. "You know nothing of the world."

"Don't mind him, laddie," Balin said to the brothers. "Thorin has more reasons than most to hate orcs."

Thorin knew what story the elder dwarf would tell. He knew his nephews had heard it many times when they were adopted under Thorin's care, but it had only come from him – who had left parts out. It was a battle deeply personal to him and the boys alike; Kili was born during it, a few weeks early than expected. It was the battle king Thror was beheaded by Azog the Defiler, the one where Thorin had earned the name of Oakenshield. The battle of Azanulbizar was one he'd rather forget, but he would never get away from it. His father disappeared. His brother, Frerin, was killed in it as well. Possibly the most heartbreaking for the two brothers, however, was the death of their father; little Kili never had the chance to meet him.

They were leaderless, but as Balin told the story, Thorin realized how it was a turning point for him. Balin claimed that Azanulbizar was when he knew that he could follow Thorin, despite having known him previously for many years.

He bit his lips and turned around, seeing the dwarf brothers staring at their feet, pipe and bow set aside, mourning their lost family members. Thorin remembered the day he returned home to the Blue Mountains well.

Thorin was badly injured, and spent his time mourning on the back of a pony. He knew best how to break the news to his sister that her father, grandfather, husband, and brother were all slaughtered, and a few days after the battle's end he knocked on the door, his wounds hardly beginning to heal and infected. He hadn't eaten nor slept, and felt like he could fall over on the porch at that moment.

Little Fili answered the door, staring up at him in joy, shock, and horror. He looked sleepy and messy, his golden hair tangled and not in their usual braids. "Uncle Thorin! Come quick, momma's not well!"

He had rushed in, his hand held by Fili, who led them into his bedroom. Dis was stretched out on the bed, unconscious, a bundle wrapped beside her. The bundle was baby Kili, small and cold and sick. Fili took his brother with great care and started crying, burying his face into Kili's blankets while Thorin looked at his sister.

He got some water and a towel, and gently started cleaning her, silently crying the whole time. He couldn't lose her, not after everything that had happened. She stirred after a few hours, and the first sight for her was her brother's grimy, bloody face – he had never gotten the time to clean up.

It was either the look on his face that told the fate of her family members, his injuries, or her own guilt on leaving her sons to fend for themselves made her sob, leaning into Thorin's armor and robes, not caring about the dirt or blood on them. They clung to each other until Dis had calmed down enough to take Kili from Fili, both of whom had fallen asleep together, Kili's little hands wrapped in his brother's hair.

Thorin made sure they were all fed before telling Dis the news, and that brought on more sobbing. She tended to Thorin's wounds and insisted he clean up, which he did. When he was cleaner he found her in a chair with Fili sleeping on her lap and Kili reluctantly taking his medicine.

Fili later bragged that he helped name his brother, and he liked that their names were similar. Kili soon got better – he was remarkably strong for being early, and Dis claimed he looked just like Thorin, although he couldn't see the resemblance.

Those two children were his whole life, and after Dis died of a bad fever when they were maturing, the two became even closer. They rarely left each other – Kili remained sickly often and woke from nightmares, and it was always Fili who comforted him. It was always Fili who went with his pranks, and they both begged Thorin for the un-grounding of the other and extra dessert.

It was actually Fili who convinced Thorin to teach the younger dwarf archery, since his reflexes, sharp eye, and coordination would make him good at it. Or so he claimed – Kili was extremely uncoordinated, which often resulted in Thorin having to haul him out of the river at the stepping-stones.

Now, as he watched them look guilty, his heart softened. He couldn't be too hard on the boys. Fili looked at Kili with such love that Thorin knew they would be fine with any mess they got themselves into, as long as they stayed together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Finally some action! Thanks so much for trudging through those few chapters. :) It means a lot!**

* * *

After the daily ritual of breakfast and waking his brother up, Fili felt well enough to make his way to the nearby stream with Ronan and Kili's help. They were all filthy, so they spent a few minutes cleaning their faces and hands, eventually splashing water on each other. Bofur joined in and Thorin found the four of them soaking wet.

Fili knew that his uncle was antsy and wanted to get a move on, based off his sharp glare at the younger dwarves and grunting. He nudged his brother-hard-and he got the hint, splashing Ronan once more then getting to his feet.

Thorin sighed and they followed him back to camp, slower since Fili kept getting caught up in roots and plants. His leg throbbed, but he tried to push it to the back of his mind. They were starting up the mountain pass today – he didn't need Thorin to worry any more than he was now.

He got onto the pony, taking the reins himself. Kili and Ronan walked behind to ensure the safety of their clothes, and they trekked into the mountains. They followed the narrow trail, a five hundred foot drop only a few feet from their boots.

Thorin claimed that by nightfall, they got over halfway through. Dwalin found a small cave, protected from the elements. Stone giants raged outside, and once there was a winner and the noise died down, they settled in to sleep.

The pony kept pawing at the ground, standing beside Ronan. She slept beside Kili, who was in between her and Fili. They eventually fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

"Everyone wake up!" Thorin boomed, and Kili jerked awake. The other dwarves were up too, looking around. It was still dark out, the only light coming from Bilbo's sword.

Realization hit a second too late, and the floor dropped beneath him. He felt himself falling, then hit a rock and started sliding. He was in the middle of the cluster of dwarves, and they fell through another chute before landing on a wooden platform, in the middle of the hollowed out mountain.

Fili landed on top of him and they all scrambled up, Kili helping to support his brother. He had knocked his leg on the way down, but at least landing on his brother had softened his landing. Thorin stood protectively in front of them, and Kili saw the goblins streaming towards them.

They pushed and shoved, pushing them down a narrow path, leading deeper into the mountains. One tried to pull Fili away from him and Kili kicked out, sending the goblin into the abyss below, keeping a firm hold on his brother. But still, they were pushed and dragged across the wooden bridges and through the tunnels, where they were halted.

The goblin king sat before them, laughing. His fat jiggled and he slid down from his throne, stumbling towards them. "What do we have here?" He boomed.

"Dwarves, master," one said, timidly stepping forwards. The goblin king laughed, his bellows echoing through the whole mountain. Other goblins joined in with their high pitched chattering.

"Search them!" He yelled, and in an instant, the goblins were on them. Kili was stripped of his bow and swords. One knocked Fili to the ground, causing him to yell out in pain. Kili reached out for him, but the goblins flooded over him and he was shoved into Thorin, who caught him before he toppled off the edge of the platform.

"I lost Fili!" He yelled, as the noise augmented. Much to his surprise, his uncle let him push back through the crowd. He located Fili, knocking away the goblins and hauling him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

He grunted, and Ronan appeared on his other side, supporting him. The goblins yanked Fili's swords away from him not gently at all. Orcrist was tossed aside, almost going off the edge.

There was a loud rumbling behind them, and several large torture machines were being rolled down the paths by even more goblins, singing songs of murder and revenge. Fili shivered by his side and Kili pressed himself closer to his brother, who leaned heavily on him.

"Oh, what do you have here? Youngling siblings?" The great goblin yelled. "Get them up here! We will make these trespassers suffer until they tell us why they are trespassing!"

Fear surged through him, and the goblins pushed them forwards. Kili kept a firm grip on Fili, determined to not get separated again. The goblin assessed them, and Kili assumed that he was trying to decide who to put on the machines first – the youngest, the girl, or the injured? He couldn't guess who he would choose, however – they all shook, Thorin protesting loudly behind them. Kili turned around to see five large goblins struggling to hold him back.

"Who wants to volunteer?" The goblin asked, appearing to not be able to choose.

Kili and Ronan exchanged a glance. She looked terrified, shaking in her boots. He had never seen her that scared; she even looked delicate, despite her stubble and thick leather. Fili was struggling to stand beside him, wincing as he tried to stand on his own. Kili couldn't let his brother suffer any more injuries. He knew what to do.

He gently nudged Fili so that he was leaning onto Ronan, keeping a hold on him while doing so.

He stepped forward.

* * *

"No," Fili murmured as his brother stepped away from him. "No!"

He started forward, determined to force his brother out of his decision, but Ronan pulled him back. "Thorin will think of something," she whispered, putting an arm on his other side and holding him. He wanted to believe her, but it seemed impossible to when his brother was being herded away to a giant wood and metal machine.

The goblins kept him and Ronan separated from the others, but he could hear Thorin yelling various threats and swears in dwarvish. From a distance away, Fili could see the fear on Kili's face, and the goblin king beamed and chanted. The goblins had bound his brother's hands, and shoved him until he stumbled into a bigger machine.

He was stretched out on a wooden part, his ankles being tied together and attached to the plank, his hands being tied to it as well. A piece of wood with several spikes of various sizes was over him, and Fili realized that they were placed to that they would hit first in the arms and legs, and then the torso and head.

Kili realized this, too, and started struggling. He had armor on under the leather, but it wasn't much of an advantage. It was meant to soften blows of arrows or swords, and wouldn't hold against the spikes.

Fili's knees went weak and he fell against Ronan, who struggled to hold him up. He slumped against her, trying to find his feet but failing. The goblins pulled several levers and chains and the contraption creaked, probably from disuse. It was definitely used before, however – dried blood was crusted on the spikes and wood frame.

Another pair of hands slid under Fili's shoulders, and he was taken by Thorin. He had apparently shoved through the goblins, knocking several over the side. He gently lifted Fili and turned around, growling at the goblins – they all shrieked but made a path for them. Ronan followed, and was there to take him again as Thorin set him down. His uncle hadn't carried him for years, the last time probably being when he had fallen into the river beside their home.

The memory sent a pain stabbing through his heart. Thorin and Kili were the only family he had left, except for his cousin Dain, of the Iron Hills. He watched Kili struggle against the bonds, knowing that his life would never be the same if the goblins got their way. He glanced up at Thorin, who still supported one side of him.

His uncle had his brow furrowed, his graying hair falling into his face. He clenched and worked his jaw, and clenched and unclenched his fist. If anyone could get them out of this situation, it would be Thorin.

There were louder creaks, and Fili locked eyes with his brother. Kili's were pleading, and though he tried to look brave, Fili knew him well enough to know he was in fact terrified, trying not to cry out. The spikes slowly lowered towards him, and Fili remembered the axes in his boots.

He nudged Thorin and nodded down towards his boot. Thorin looked confused, so Fili straightened and whispered in his ear, "They only took visible weapons."

His uncle's expression changed, a hand going to his jerkin, where he kept a small blade. It was a subtle movement, but the great goblin had seen it. He swung his head around, and Thorin moved his arm so that it was casually crossed against his chest, his thumb hooked across a button. The goblin narrowed his eyes and turned back to Kili, who had begun screaming.


	6. Chapter 6

The first spike was inches away from his shoulder, and the machine creaked and groaned so much, he was convinced the whole thing would collapse.

He kept his eyes locked on Fili's – his brother strained against Thorin and Ronan, and Bofur was whispering in his ear. He bit his lip as the first spike hit his shoulder, pressing against the leather. There wasn't any armor there – it was only on his stomach. It punctured the robes and jerkin and hit skin, barely missing his upper arm bone.

It pressed farther and farther in, and the pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced. The machine shuddered and it ripped out, making the spike rip through more skin. He couldn't help but scream, and the blood was hot against his skin.

Fili's face dropped and he struggled forward, his face clouded with pain as a goblin kicked his leg, yelling at him in the goblin's tongue. He wanted Fili, to hug him and smell him and know that he was there, and to know that he would not leave him any time soon.

Another spike started pressing into his leg, one centered for his face a foot away. He closed his eyes, trying to get the image out of his head of being impaled. The one on his leg also missed the bone, and sliced through his fleshy calf instead.

All of a sudden, the creaking ceased; there were yells and Kili peeked his eyes open.

Thorin had sieged Orcrist, and was on a killing spree. He beheaded the goblin that manned the machine, sending the body to drape across the wheel. He saw Fili fighting nearby, still being supported by Ronan. Bofur hurried forward at Thorin's shout.

"Help me lift this off him," his uncle growled, gripping the wood with the spikes. The one was inches from his face – if Thorin and Bofur slipped, he would be impaled.

Bofur took the area by his head and shouldered it, and the wood splintered. Kili closed his eyes against the debris, turning his head away as much as he could. He only encountered blood streaming from his arm. The leather still covered the wound, so he could only imagine what it looked like. He moaned as the spikes slid out of his arm and leg, attracting Fili's worried gaze.

Thorin and Bofur heaved the contraption off him and Thorin pulled out a knife, cutting the bonds that held his arms and legs together. Once they were off, Kili found that he couldn't move his left arm, the one that was injured. Thorin gently moved it to his side while Bofur and Dwalin formed a protective circle around them.

"Are you okay?" Thorin asked, leaning down to him. "Can you walk?"

"I think so," Kili panted, and Thorin helped him slide his legs off and to stand. He hissed in pain as he stood, and Thorin passed him off to Bofur.

"Get them out of here," he said, pointing down a corridor with Orcrist.

"How do you know?" Ronan demanded, shuffling up with Fili. He tried to seem strong for his brother's sake, Kili could tell, but he could see the pain and relief in his face. The great goblin howled behind them, and the cavern was flooded in a bright, white light, blinding dwarves and goblins alike.

* * *

Gandalf stood in the mouth of the corridor Thorin had pointed at, staff in hand. "Down here, quickly!" He ushered the dwarves into the alley before the goblins had managed to react; the light blinded them, since they were used to the fires that illuminated the caverns. Several seemed to had dropped dead from shock.

The dwarves let Thorin, Bofur, Ronan, Fili, and Kili take the lead; Kili could run on his own – painfully – and Bofur had scooped up Fili and was carrying the larger dwarf. Ronan had gotten her bow back, along with Kili's. She ran backwards, shooting at the pursuing goblins over the heads of the dwarves. Thorin brought down any other goblins they encountered, Orcrist gleaming despite the lack of light in the passageway.

They stumbled through a door – opening, really, a hole in the side of the mountain – into the late afternoon light. They faced a steep, rocky slope, with pines dotted here and there, clinging to the mountainside. Kili and Bofur had formed a method of sliding down from tree to tree, but blood loss was making Kili woozy. More than once he had missed the tree he was aiming for, and ended up either sliding or rolling to the next boulder or tree.

They finally reached level ground, but they kept going. The goblins would be after them come sundown – they needed to distance themselves from them as much as possible.

By now, the blood from Kili's arm wound was soaking through the hole in the leather more rapidly, and it dripped from his cloak down his arm and onto the ground. He clasped a hand over it, knowing that while scent would give them away to any wargs fairly easy, blood would drive the beasts mad, driving them to follow the trail and to find whoever had bled. Injured dwarves were far more easy prey than healthy ones.

Finally, they stopped to catch their breath. It was much needed for Kili; black dots swam into his vision, and he slumped against a tree, gasping for breath. His leg and arm throbbed, and Thorin was immediately tending to him.

He moved away a few branches and stones with the toe of his boot, and then nodded to the area he cleared. "Lie down and let me look at you," he said quietly, taking him gently and laying him down. Kili didn't think that he could've stood much longer anyway; he closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as the clothes were peeled off of him.

There were several gasps as his bare skin was exposed, and Kili didn't want to know what his wound looked like. Someone flopped down beside him and lifted his head into their lap – Fili, no doubt about it. Kili whispered his brother's name and was shushed, as his fingers started stroking his hair.

He opened his eyes, staring into his brother's pained blue ones. Ronan was beside him, muttering to herself. The pony was still back in goblin town, all of their medicine and supplies tied to its saddle. She rubbed her short beard, her eyes scanning the area they were in.

"Thorin, get me those leaves over there," she said, pointing somewhere Kili couldn't bother looking at.

"Fili... are you okay...?" Kili murmured, and was silenced by a quick nod of his brother's head.

"I'm fine, brother, it's just aching."

Thorin returned with the leaves, and Ronan started chewing them to a pulp. She hesitated before moving to apply the mush, giving a look Kili understood, a look meaning it would hurt. She gently rubbed the leaves onto his wound, wincing even though she wasn't in any pain.

He didn't feel anything at first, but then the stinging hit. He ground his teeth in pain, turning his head in Fili's lap to watch. He wished he hadn't – when the spike was jarred to the left, it had ripped skin, creating a ragged hole in his arm, the lean muscle showing, ripped around the bone. The while was in startling contrast to the red and pink, the blood pooling on the ground.

He turned his head back in Fili's lap, feeling lightheaded. Ronan seemed satisfied with her work after a minute or two, and reached into her jacket and pulled out a roll of clean bandages. "I always keep these on me," she murmured, gently picking up his limp arm and wrapping it. "Do I need to look at your leg?"

Kili shook his head. "It's fine," he groaned, putting his good foot under him and taking Bifur's outstretched hand. Bifur definitely knew what pain was – he had an axe sticking out of his head for Durin's sake.

Fili scrambled to his feet as well, teetering slightly. Dori grabbed him and Fili gave him a look of thanks, despite the dwarf grumbling about youngsters getting themselves in trouble.

"Where's Bilbo?" Nori asked, and all the dwarves looked around. Thorin grumbled and turned away.

"I'm right here, no need to worry." The hobbit popped out from behind a bush, tucking something into the pocket on his vest.

Ronan stood beside Kili, biting her lip and letting him lean on her. Thorin was almost to the head of the company before a howl pierced the night.


	7. Chapter 7

**Just a brief note. I'd like to thank everyone who faves/follows this, and an even bigger thank you to Mzzmarie for the kind words!**

**Also, the computer I wrote this on doesn't have autocorrect for some reason, so ignore any typos :)**

* * *

Fili froze. It was nearby, up the mountain a bit. Kili couldn't fight, and to be honest with himself, he couldn't either.

"There are some bushes down a bit further, you three can hide there," Gandalf told the young dwarves.

"Why me? I want to fight!" Ronan insisted, grabbing Kili's good arm and squeezing tight.

"You can guard them," Gandalf huffed, herding the dwarves down the hill. He pushed the three of them into the bushes, where they were hidden from sight but could see well through the branches. Ronan had strung her bow, choosing to sit at a place where she could shoot while the remaining dwarves hurried to climb some trees.

Kili sat against him, shaking. The howls and barks drew ever closer, and after a few minutes the first wargs stalked into the clearing, several had orcs astride them. One stopped a few yards from the bush, and Ronan silently strung her bow.

Fili put a hand on her arm, shaking his head. She couldn't shoot yet – then they would know their location! He saw Thorin perched in a tree, straddling a high branch. Balin and Oin were on the same tree, and Bilbo was on a small pine next to it. One of his uncle's hands was on Orcrist, the other gripping the tree.

A command was shouted, and the wargs sprang forward. They jumped and clawed at the trees. Snapping branches off with their teeth. Kili was still curled up beside him, his eyes wide and frightened. Fili pulled him closer, wincing as the bushed rustled. The wargs were too busy attacking the trees, so they didn't notice.

Kili was now in Fili's lap, his head resting against his shoulder. Fili wrapped his arms around his little brother, his face in his hair. His injured arm was cradled in the crook of his shoulder and Fili shook the thought of the wound from his head. It was one of the most gruesome things he had ever seen.

Gandalf had begun to light pinecones on fire and the dwarves threw them at the wargs, but they kept leaping. Several trees fell over, crashing into the others. The dwarves lept from tree to tree, until they were all crowded on one.

Brush on the ground eventually caught fire, blocking most of the wargs. The ones who dared to enter had their fur singed, and bolted away back to where the bush was.

Fili could see the legs and belly of a massive white Gundabad warg, slinking forwards cockily. A deep, guttural laugh sounded from the rider, and the remaining tree fell so that it was barely clinging to the side of the cliff. The warg moved to where Fili could see the rider, and he gasped.

The orc riding it was none other than the pale orc, better known as Azog the Defiler. The orc responsible for killing his great grandfather, grandfather, father, and uncle. The one who killed Ronan's father.

The one Thorin had proclaimed to have been dead for a century.

* * *

Ronan felt Fili stiffen beside her at Azog's appearance. She gasped as well, then mentally chastised herself as the white warg swung its head around, looking for the source of the sound. It growled and looked ahead at the dwarves in the tree.

Thorin had stood up on the trunk as Azog spoke in dark orcish. It was a terrible sound, making her wince. Her hand trembled, growing sticky and sweaty. The arm pulling back the string started shaking, and the string dug into her finger despite the leather glove.

If she withdrew, then the bushes would rustle, and the warg would sense them for sure. If she shot, then it would be on them in an instant.

Azog had killed her father. If she must shoot, she would shoot at him.

Fili seemed to sense what she was thinking. He looked over at her, shaking his head and mouthing _no_.

She bit her lip. Her arm was really shaking now, the arrow sliding off the rest. Thorin had stood, wielding Orcrist. Azog was taunting him, daring him to attack. Thorin seemed to be taking the bait – he began to run forward, his hair clinging to his sweaty face. Azog sat on his warg, a grin spreading across his scarred face. Once Thorin neared, the orc leaned forward on this warg, and it sprang forward.

A massive paw hit Thorin in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. Ronan could see his mouth gasp for breath; Fili stiffened beside her, apparently clutching Kili's arm tight enough to evoke a protest from him. He let out a small hiss, and a warg turned towards them, trying to find them.

Thorin had managed to stand, clutching Orcrist. The elvish blade glinted in the moonlight and firelight, the swirling runes darker against the silver. Azog had turned around, his warg galloping towards Thorin. He tried to avoid the blow of the mace, but it was too late – it caught him in his chest, blowing him backwards a few yards.

The warg picked the dwarf up in its massive jaws, and Ronan aimed her bow. She released the arrow, and time seemed to slow as it cut through the air, embedding itself into the warg's eye.

It howled and released Thorin, throwing him onto a rock. He lay motionless, his sword several feet from his outstretched hand.

Three wargs had turned and faced the bush, nostrils flaring as they sniffed out the shooter. As quietly as possible, Ronan strung another arrow. As she aimed at the nearest beast, Fili nudged her. He pointed away to where Azog and the orcs were, to see one sauntering towards Thorin, sword in hand.

He was going to behead the prince.

* * *

sword in hand.

He was going to behead the prince.

Thorin saw the dark blade of the orc's sword above him, covered in blood and grime. He clawed at the ground, trying to reach his own sword, which lay just inches from his fingertips. He gasped for breath, struggling to breathe, and it felt like he had no lungs.

The orc brought the sword up, ready to behead him.

_This is it. I am going to die. I have failed the quest and everyone involved in it._

He pinched his eyes shut, waiting for the blow, but it didn't come. Instead, there was only a grunt and a guttural scream, followed by several screeches from orcs.

He opened his eyes, turning his head so that he could see Bilbo pull his glowing sword from the chest of an orc.

His head pounded, and black dots swam in his vision.

He fought to stay conscious, but knew that it was a lost battle. He passed out under the stars and surrounded by fire.

* * *

Dwalin had lead the few dwarves that weren't hanging onto the tree for dear life into battle, while Azog cowered back.

Ronan began firing arrows, and Fili started lending her some of Kili's as she ran out; his younger brother had gone limp, and he wasn't sure if he was conscious or not. Fili drew his own sword, gripping it with his right hand while he held his brother with his left.

A warg advanced towards them, and began shaking their bush. The beast uprooted it, showering the hiding dwarves with dirt and leaves, blowing their cover.

Fili sliced its neck open, and a loud screech sounded. At first he thought that it was an orc, but as he held Kili tighter as he began to slip, he saw that the source was one of the great eagles. He had believed that they were only a myth, as he had never seen them before. The great birds swooped down, falling the remaining trees into the fire and crushing the wargs.

One swooped down towards Thorin, extending its razor-sharp talons. "No!" Fili yelled, but to his shock, the bird picked up his uncle with great care. His oaken branch slipped from his arm and landed with an audible _thunk _on the ground.

Another eagle flew in, its talons aiming for Fili and his brother. He flinched away but they scooped him up, the leathery feet wrapping around them, Ronan included. Kili looked up at the animal in awe, seeming to forget about the pain. Even Fili did, the throbbing in his leg not important. They were both on top of Ronan, but then again, it was crowded

Suddenly, they were falling, enveloped not by the feet but by air.


	8. Chapter 8

**What happened to them? Short chapter here, I'm just about to leave for a horse show. Updates might be a bit slow, but I'll get more writing done during the drive!**

* * *

The eagle set Bilbo down on the massive rock, then turned and flew away. He stepped up to Gandalf, who kneeled by the motionless Thorin. His mouth was slightly open and a bit of drool came out, making him look a bit comical despite the situation.

The wizard placed a hand over his face and closed his eyes, muttering something in a foreign tongue under his breath. At first nothing happened. The dwarves all crowded around, standing on tiptoes to look over each other's shoulders.

Thorin blinked open his eyes, wincing against the rising sun. He whispered something, probably in dwarvish, sounding softer and lighter than usual.

"It's all right," Gandalf assured him. "Bilbo is here."

Thorin turned to look at him, and Bilbo jumped at the mentioning of his name. "Thank Durin," he whispered, and this time the hobbit could understand him. Dori and Nori helped him to his feet, and the prince turned and surveyed the crowd of dwarves assembled on the rock.

"Where are Fili and Kili?" He asked. "And Ronan?"

All the eagles were long gone, and none of the younger dwarves were assembled on the rock. Ori looked out of place, since all the remaining dwarves were about twice his age.

Thorin's face fell, and Bilbo worried that he would collapse.

"It's all my fault. I told them to hide, and they hid." He turned his back on everyone, looking back the way they came.

Bilbo spotted the eagle a moment before everyone else. His hopes rose; maybe they were on that one? They were soon gone as the eagle landed on the rock, its feathers ruffled and blood pouring from its neck. Thorin glared at it as the animal began speaking to Gandalf. Bilbo was no expert on the tongue and voice of the eagles, but to him, it sounded tired and upset. Gandalf nodded and the eagle took off flying in the direction the others had gone.

The wizard hung his head. "The eagle had indeed picked them up. A warg, too. They were dropped." The words hung in the air. "I'm sorry, Thorin. There is no way they could have survived the fall."

* * *

Gandalf's words crushed Thorin. He sank to the ground, his legs splayed out uncomfortably, but he didn't care.

His two nephews, his heirs, were dead. And the girl he had spent so much time with when she was a child. His own wounds stung, but his heart stung more. He regretted every foul word he said to them, every time he had overreacted because he forgot how young they were. They were so mature at some times, then a minute later they had disappeared somewhere to race their ponies or to find berries.

He had always assumed that something of their doing would get themselves hurt or killed. Sure, their own stupidity had hurt them countless times; they had been brave on the journey. But now they were killed because a warg nearly killed their eagle, and Thorin could do nothing about it.

And now all his family was gone. He had promised their mother, Dis, that he would look after them, and that Fili would become King one day whenever he passed. It was all a lie now, and he had broken the most important promise that he had ever made.

"There is nothing we can do, Thorin." Gandalf sat down next to him. "We are closer than you think."

"And why do you say that?" He spat.

"Turn around and see," the old wizard said. Thorin grunted and stood, turning.

Barely visible on the horizon, a mountain jutted up. Anduin wound its way through Mirkwood towards it, and the Lonely Mountain looked majestic in the early light.

"Erebor," Gandalf said proudly, causing the dwarves to murmur and turn.

He felt like he should share this moment with his nephews. They had never seen it before. But still, Thorin sank in the pride of seeing the mountain once again. "Our home."


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry I didn't update yesterday when I had the time. One of my friends lost a battle with cancer yesterday and I feel like crap since I'm out of state at the horse show. That, and I'm showing several horses, so I've been busy. I have gotten a lot of writing done for some reason, though.**

**Don't forget to follow/review! It motivates me tons!**

* * *

Kili was so, so cold.

And he couldn't breathe.

The icy water jerked him from his stupor, and his eyes snapped open. Right in time, too; he kicked off a boulder the current had carried him to. Luckily, he kicked with his good foot, but it didn't really matter. He was numb, the tingling in his fingers and toes slowly spreading throughout his body.

All he could focus on was staying clear of any rocks and keeping his head above water. It would have been hard enough for someone taller, who could possibly touch the bottom, and someone who could swim. But the short dwarves never had any reason to learn how to swim, so Kili resorted to thrashing around in the water.

He saw a dark mop of blonde ahead – he couldn't tell if it was Fili or Ronan, but it was someone. He struggled to keep them in his line of vision, but his arm got rammed against a boulder and the pain distracted him.

He felt something catch his hood, rooting him in the water. He paddled frantically, but he was jerked left towards the water's edge. He saw the other blonde dwarf lying in a heap about a hundred feet ahead on the bank.

Kili's hair was plastered to his face, and he was hauled up onto shore. He coughed up water and bile, and heaved even when there was nothing left. Ronan lay beside him, struggling to catch her breath, but she seemed uninjured.

"Going to... check on... Fili," she panted, getting to her feet. Her clothes dripped and her boots squelched when she walked, stumbling towards Fili.

Kili tried to follow, but his limbs were too numb to do anything. He shivered in the rising sun. What had happened? He closed his eyes, remembering Thorin going limp on the rock. Then the eagles came, and he didn't remember anything after that.

He managed to crawl over to Ronan and Fili. Fili threw up water, his hair dripping into it. Kili pulled it back so that it was out of his face, and Fili rolled over.

He pulled Kili into a hug. "Are you okay?" He murmured, his fingers digging into his hair.

"I'm fine, it's you I'm worried about," he replied.

"Nah, no need for that. I'm just glad you're safe." His brother clung to him, and the numbness slowly melted away.

"We need to find the others," Ronan said, interrupting their moment of bliss. "Mirkwood is near... the dangers will present themselves once we get there."

Kili had only heard tales of the creatures that lived in Mirkwood. He was confident that Ronan would know which paths to take through it, since she had lived there with the Elvenking of the Woodland Realm, after all.

Both brothers insisted they could walk, but Ronan grumbled and found a walking stick for each of them. Kili took it gratefully; he knew that his leg wouldn't hold him the whole trek.

Thankfully, most of their weapons had either washed up on a sandbar about a kilometer down the river or had remained strapped onto their clothing. Kili only had five arrows left, which he gave to Ronan since she had more of a use for them since he couldn't shoot.

They slowly trekked through the mix of plains and trees, the long and untamed grasses hiding them from the sight of any orcs that patrolled the mountains around them. Ronan managed to shoot a fairly large fox as night fell, and they found a sheltered clearing. Fili and Kili worked on skinning the animal while Ronan coaxed a fire into starting. Kili's wounds throbbed, and after the fox was roasting, he laid down on the hard ground and closed his eyes. Fili dropped beside him, and he was soon asleep before he had his dinner.

* * *

After carefully picking their way down the rock face, Thorin and the rest of the dwarves and Gandalf started towards Erebor. Every step pained him more, taking him away from his fallen nephews and towards the place they would never go. As young dwarves, Thorin's stories of the kingdom calmed nerves and put them to sleep. The two would always beg for the Erebor stories, but he had always kept the reason why they didn't live there secret until one night.

* * *

_Thorin took a nephew in each arm, despite their size. They latched onto him, refusing to let go and burying their faces into his shoulder. He opened their bedroom door with a kick and it bumped into the doorstop. He laid the brothers onto the bed, little Kili whimpering a bit and keeping his hands outstretched, reaching for his uncle again._

_"Now there, lad, it's all right." He reached out and stroked the mop of brown hair._

_Fili had turned away and his shoulders convulsed with sobs, and he sniffled loudly. Thorin sighed, wanting to feel the same way as the eldest dwarf, but he forced himself to stay strong for his nephew's sake._

_"No, it's not all right!" Kili wailed, crawling out from under the sheets and into Thorin's lap. He sighed, rubbing his back gently. "Mummy's dead!"_

_Fili let out a loud sob, and Thorin reached across the bed and scooped him up. _

_"I'll tell you a story. The best one I have, I've been saving it for an occasion like this."_

_"Occasion?" Fili snarled, and any other day he would have been spanked for retorting to his uncle. "What kind of occasion is this?"_

_"Hush, Fili. Calm down!"_

_"Is it an Erebor story?" Kili asked quietly, gripping his cloak in both hands and pulling a bit. Thorin nodded, and his pained expression softened a bit._

_"You've asked why we don't live in Erebor in the past, and now you'll get your answer. Some years before you were born, when Thror still ruled and everything was well, Erebor prospered. The city of Dale thrived, and everyone was happy." He paused for a second while Fili shifted. "Then one day, there was a terrible noise. The trees on the side of the mountain began shaking. Balin and some of the guard and I went out to see what was the matter, and there, barely missing us, was a branch lit on fire!"_

_Kili shivered, and he wondered if he should be telling them this. "There was a loud roar, and I knew what it was. A dragon, from North, a drake by the sound of it. And a big one. I called out all the guard, and by the time I turned back around, the dragon was flying over Dale. They sounded the horns, but the dragon – Smaug, was his name – had made enough noise to wake the dead. _

_"He soon destroyed Dale, but his sights were set on Erebor, for he craved the gold and other riches there. The guard and I tried to fend him off, but he knocked down my men like they were bugs. Once a dragon sees gold he will not back down, so we were forced to leave."_

_Both the dwarves had stopped crying. Thorin continued, "I grabbed your mother and Frerin and we ran. We had many injured, and Thranduil arrived with his army of elves. He refused to help, and they left us."_

_"Is that why we hate the elves now?" Fili asked, looking up with his wet blue eyes._

_Thorin nodded. "Yes, lad. We roamed Middle Earth until we mostly settled here. Some live in the Iron Hills, some down south, and some still travel around. But we have all managed, in the end."_

_"Why did you tell us this, uncle Thorin?" Kili asked sleepily._

_"We have lost something dear to us, but we're still managing today, aren't we? It still aches, and I think about taking it back every day. I was the same as you when Frerin died; your mother and I moped around for weeks, maybe even months, mourning."_

_"But you couldn't do anything, so you let it go..." Fili said slowly. "So you're saying that we should just forget about Mummy?"_

_"I'm not telling you to forget, Fili. We will never forget but she will remain with us in our hearts, like Erebor and my brother still live in me today. Do you understand?"_

_Both dwarves nodded. "Off to bed with you two, then. I'll be there for you tomorrow and forever after."_

* * *

"Gandalf, where are you taking us?" Thorin asked, the memory making his heart ache even more.

"We were going to see someone who should help us," the wizard said, setting off east of the mountain.

"Should?" he asked, but the wizard didn't answer. They reached a copse of trees, and Thorin hesitated just outside of them. The other dwarves and Bilbo passed, leaving him alone on the plain.

The prince looked back towards the Misty Mountains, the clouds hiding the summits of most. "Farewell young ones," he murmured, not wanting to leave his nephews. He ached to find their bodies, to give them an honorable burial, but it would take many days to trek there, and by then they would have been found by an animal, or worse, orcs.

With one last glance, he turned and followed the rest of the dwarves into the trees.

* * *

Luckily, Kili had slept light enough that it didn't take long to wake him when he was done. Ronan handed the drowsy dwarf a bowl of fox stew, made with some mushrooms and roots she had found while him and Fili were sleeping. She wasn't much of a cook, but she had eaten a bit while they were sleeping and it tasted okay.

Fili sat up, groaning, and took a bowl thankfully. Ronan spooned some more into her bowl, which had cracked since it had somehow survived everything in Fili's pack.

"This is good," Kili murmured, taking another bite. She smiled and nodded a thank you, and Fili agreed.

"How do you guys feel?" She asked, stirring it to let it cool. She knew that they would both tell her that they were fine, but she asked anyway.

Fili shrugged. "I'm okay." Kili grunted in agreement.

She sighed, starting to eat. In the waning temperature, the hot stew feeling blissful. Their clothing had finally dried out, so they wrapped their cloaks tighter around them and sat together by the fire, which was small but still provided warmth.

"I'll take first watch, you need rest," she said, eyeing Kili, who looked like he was about to fall over. He settled down next to the fire, laying on his side.

"Wake me up when you need me to watch," Fili said, laying down next to Kili. He took off his heavy coat and draped it over both him and his brother, and Kili wormed his way closer to him.

Everything was silent for a few hours, but she stiffened as a distant screech broke it. She grabbed her bow, nocking an arrow. The brothers still slept soundly, a mass of tangled limbs. The sight made her heart almost break, and she dreaded the days to come. They would have to suffer through their injuries, and she felt helpless without the right resources. They still had a long way to go until they reached their destination, and going through Mirkwood would be torture for not only them, but her as well.

There was another screech, closer this time. She aimed towards where she heard the noise, the bowstring digging into her blistered fingers. It took a lot to blister them now, since they've been hardened so much over the years, and it was dwarf skin, made for being worked.

There were several knocks on a nearby tree, like a woodpecker. Casting one last glance at the boys, she got to her feet and quietly made her way to the edge of the clearing, looking for whoever was there.


	10. Chapter 10

**You know I couldn't kill them... yet ;)**

* * *

Thorin heard a low buzzing, but he thought it was just him. Ori started pawing at his ear, and even Oin looked confused, bringing down his ear trumpet and looking at it oddly.

"We are nearing our destination!" Gandalf announced. "Here lives Beorn, and that buzzing you hear are his bees. He has an abundance of animals, so be careful."

They passed the bees, and found a huge man standing at an entryway. Several deer and horses stood around him, glancing at the strangers warily. Thorin couldn't but notice that they looked intelligent, and he hoped that Gandalf was right about coming here.

"Gandalf, haven't seen you in a while," the man said, peering down at them. "What brings you to my land?"

"Beorn, I apologize for the short notice, but we are on a journey and we are a bit short on food and supplies. We lost it in Goblin Town."

"I see. And who are your companions?"

"Well, here's Nori, Ori, Dori, Bifur, Bombur, Bofu-"

"Slow down wizard! I'm not as young as I once was. So you're Ori..." he said, pointing at Bifur.

"No, master Beorn that's Bifur!" Gandalf corrected as Bifur started protesting in Dwarvish. "These are Nori, _Ori, _Dori, Bifur, Bombur, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin, and where is he... oh, there he is! The leader Thorin Oakenshield, and our burglar, Bilbo Baggins."

Beorn seemed to quiz himself, and then grumbled. "Very well then, follow me."

Thorin shot a glance at Gandalf, and reluctantly followed the rest of the dwarves into a yard filled with more animals. They went into a huge house, and everything was scaled up. The seat of a chair was level with Thorin's head, the table even higher.

Beorn yelled something in a different tongue, and animals started dancing, horses and deer and mice, pushing in dwarf sized chairs and benches. Some set the table, heaping platters of food and they rolled out barrels of ale and wine. The animals sang, but Thorin and the dwarves weren't cheered up by it. They all knew too well that Fili and Kili would have joined the singing, and it wasn't the same without them.

The table was soon set and the animals left. The dwarves climbed up into their chairs and benches, Gandalf and Beorn at the heads. Thorin sat beside Dwalin and Balin, all the other siblings and kin sitting together as well. Balin and Dwalin were family, the line of Durin, but distant. Fili and Kili were the two closest relatives he had, but he did have one other nephew that he didn't see that often.

Thorin picked absently at his food while Gandalf told their story. He could tell that Beorn didn't believe them, and he didn't blame him that much. He didn't believe it.

He felt the man staring at him, and he met his gaze. "I am sorry about your nephews and the girl," he said.

The king shook his head and looked back down at the table. He stayed quiet the rest of the night, only sharing a few words with Balin. They settled down to bed, and Beorn promised them a supply of food and goods, along with ponies they could borrow in the morning until they got to Mirkwood.

Thorin settled down on the floor, in the back corner of the room. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, the loss still fresh. But still, he willed himself to try, for the Company's sake. He was even grumpier when he was tired, and he didn't want to make it worse for them.

Ori laid a few feet away, shoulders shaking as muffled sobs leaked out of him. The younger dwarf had been good friends with the brothers, although he seemed more reserved. He did write down everything they said with particular care, for he was the chronicler of the journey. Thorin had read his book, and while he generalized everyone else, it was Fili and Kili, more recently Ronan, that he shone the spotlight on. Happy, young heirs, caring about each other more than anything else in Middle Earth.

* * *

Ronan woke the brothers as the sun started to rise, handing them each a leaf filled with berries she had gathered. She stumbled into a patch of bushes loaded with blueberries when she went to pursue the sound, and decided that they would give them more energy than something she would have to hunt. Besides, they might not find any more bushes of fruit the more they ventured into the darker places of Middle Earth.

"You should've woken me up," Fili grumbled. He still looked dead tired, Kili even worse, but they knew the sleep had done them well.

"You needed the sleep," she said. "To heal faster."

"You need it too," he muttered, turning away and putting out a hand to his brother, helping Kili to his feet.

"How do you two feel?" She went over to Kili, putting a hand to his forehead. It was cool, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Oin and the leaves she found must have fought off a fever. He flinched away from her touch, grumbling about how everyone was overreacting and that he was fine. "Please, Kili, just let me look at your wounds."

He sighed and Ronan went to work unbuttoning his shirt and coat, and then removing the bandage. It stuck to his wound and he hissed as she peeled it off, the cotton stained with brown blood. The actual wound was still covered in blood, so she couldn't get a good look at it.

She had been prepared, and had boiled a pot of water. She took a rag and wet it, wringing it out over the pot and bringing it up to Kili's shoulder. He winced as she gently rubbed at it, clearing away the blood. The large gash was enflamed, red around the edges. It didn't look infected, but it needed stitches.

"It needs stitches, Kili. You moving it would just keep it open, and it would probably get infected, which we don't need right now."

"Do you have what you need?" He grunted, glancing down at the wound.

"Yes. Fili, sit him down against that oak over there while I get everything ready." The elder dwarf nodded in agreement, putting a hand on Kili's uninjured shoulder and shuffling towards the tree.

Ronan dug around in her pack for the basic kit she had, pulling out the needle and thread. She dipped the needle in the water, cleaning it. The string followed, and she squeezed all the water out with her thumb and index finger. After threading the needle, she went over to where Kili was sitting against the tree and kneeled down next to him.

"All right, several things. First off, Fili get his hand. This will hurt. Second, Kili, I'll need you to relax. It will hurt less and I can't do it if your muscles are all tensed up. I'm not sure how many it will take, but it's a big gash and its deep, so probably quite a few. You ready?"

Fili grasped one of Kili's hands. "I guess," he said, shifting his weight a little bit.

As gently as she could, she began the stitches. Kili bit his lip, trying his best to stay still but not quite succeeding. "Relax," she murmured, sliding the needle in and out. "Relax, it will be over soon." She was almost halfway done, about fifteen stitches in already. Blood ran down his arm and she paused to put the rag above where his clothes stopped so that they wouldn't get any more ruined than they already were.

She must have poked something she wasn't supposed to, because Kili let out a scream, his body arching off the ground and rolling a bit towards Fili. The movement pulled the needle out of Ronan's hand, tightening the stitches, which made him howl some more. She swore under breath curses in ancient dwarvish, then reached over and grasped his good arm. "I'm sorry, Kili, I'm sorry," she whispered, brushing his hair off his face. "Just calm down, I'm almost done."

Once he had settled down enough for her to continue, she quickly finished and tied off the thread. She wiped the blood off his arm, and rebandaged it. Kili kept a hold of Fili's hand, leaning on him more than the tree.

"You sure you're okay Fili?"

He shrugged. "I guess. My leg still hurts, but I should be fine." He stroked his brother's hair some more, and whispered in his ear.

"We need to go soon; we've been here far too long. Knowing Thorin, they would have started moving again hours ago." She turned to the pot that still rested over the embers of the fire. She put in their water skins, filling them with the clean water, until the four they had were full. She set them aside next to their packs, and picked up the pot and brought it to the brothers. "You can clean up with this. Or drink it, whatever you choose, but I filled our skins."

"You're amazing," Fili breathed, taking the pot. He wiped down Kili's face and then his, scrubbing to get the dirt off. She smiled weakly at them, taking the pot back and attaching it to Fili's pack.

The brothers stood, retrieving their walking sticks. They took their packs, which Ronan had lightened for them. Her own felt like a million tons, and she knew that she would regret taking the load.

They did encounter a slight problem with Kili. The pack put too much weight on his arm, but they adjusted the straps so that most of the weight was on his good shoulder and all was well.

"We're going to have to cut straight to Mirkwood, through it and to the path," she said, leading the group. "Thorin and everyone else will probably make it there tomorrow or the day after. We might beat them there. I have a good idea of where the eagles were taking them."

"If Thorin's alive," Kili muttered, limping along behind them. Her stomach churned. How could she forget? Fili looked distraught as well, looking down at the ground.

"He's strong. He'll be fine."

Kili snorted and they walked around a boulder. The small exchange had dampened their spirits, and the day of walking dragged on. If an orc pack found them, they would be dead. With no energy and the heirs of Durin injured, they could barely even fight back.

"There are footprints here," Fili murmured, stopping. Ronan turned around.

"Elves," she said, stiffening. "We're nearing their territory. We should be just outside of Mirkwood by nightfall."


	11. Chapter 11

**Just a little note: I tried to make Ori's thing better, but I just couldn't make it worse. But still, I hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

After handing off his pony to Ori, Thorin excused himself from the rest of the group. He walked into the forest, letting the trees obscure him from everyone else's view. He needed to be alone, away from the constant complaints even though they were better rested and fed than any other day besides the first. He had tried to follow Gandalf's advice, to ignore the fact that the three young dwarves were gone, but he couldn't. The two boys that were the sons he didn't have, that he relied on enough to make his heirs, gone because a warg had leaped onto their eagle.

He could've protected them if only he stayed with them. Guilt clawed at his belly, and he leaned against a tree. Ever since he had told them the story of Smaug, they had dreamed of reclaiming Erebor.

Thorin realized how foolish and selfish he was. He had continued his journey instead of finding their bodies, giving them the burial they deserved. He sighed, banging his head against the thick trunk of the tree. He wanted to scream and to cry, but he forced himself not to, for the sake of the company. They couldn't see him break down.

He willed himself to join them again, and sat down next to the fire. He took out his pipe, ready to smoke his worries away, when Ori came up.

"Er, Thorin, sorry to interrupt, but I thought you might like to read this," he said, pulling out his book and handing it to Thorin.

"Thank you, Ori," he said, holding his pipe in one hand and flipping the book open to where the frayed ribbon bookmark was. Ori's small, neat script filled the page, and there were several illustrations in the margins. Pictures of Fili and Kili, their bows, swords, and ponies. Ori sat down a few feet from Thorin sheepishly, as if he was afraid of him. He turned his head back towards the book and began reading.

_Fili and Kili, sons of Dis daughter of Thrain, two lively, energetic dwarves, died today. We do not know their exact fate, but I believe that many of us do not want to know. Their loss has left my heart in two, for they were my two best friends outside of my own brothers. They will always be with me in spirit, for I have known them my whole life._

_I was there when Fili was born. I was young at the time, but I remember it well. I am not in the line of Durin, so I did not live with the two young lads, but we did see each other on occasion. _

Thorin looked at the dwarf, who had began picking at his knitted mittens.

_I don't remember the last time I saw them. Was it in Goblin Town? Before it or after it? I only wish that I could have seen them one last time._

_Their loss, additional to Ronan's, has affected everyone. The Company has been less merry, with no joking or singing. It was always Fili and Kili who started all that, and I don't think anyone has the heart to do what they did._

_Their entire lives were taken from them, far too early. I know Thorin blames himself, for trying to protect them. Hiding them in the bushes, since they couldn't get into the tree. He realized the scent of the bush would hide them, and it did. They were safe; the thing - the warg - that took them down was nobody's fault._

Thorin exhaled, closing the book. He kept holding it in his hands, the worn leather cover warmed slightly by the fire. They had broken into the meat and salted pork was being passed around. He handed the book back to Ori, who took it shyly, not knowing what to say.

"Thank you, Ori."

"What do you mean?"

"Thank you for being there for the lads when I couldn't."

* * *

The three reached Mirkwood the next day, and as he stepped into the shade of the trees, a wave of nausea passed over Kili. The dark, thick vegetation hid any threats or traps. Ronan picked her way through carefully, and Kili and Fili made sure to step where she did.

"We need to find a path," she said, pausing. "It's not safe like this. An Elven patrol can find us."

"Do you know where one is?" Fili asked.

She nodded. "There's one about a mile from here. It takes us right past the palace, though."

"Thorin could be here already. We need to hurry."

The three continued the trek, and soon found a grassy path through the forest. They had drained their water skins, and came across a dark river.

Kili knelt down, unscrewing the cap to his skin. "Don't," Ronan snapped, bristling. "It will make you sick."

He grumbled and stood, grimacing as he stretched his arm. It was better, but still ached and bled on occasion. His leg wound was better as well, and he could walk with only a small limp. His brother tried to cover his own injury, but he was favoring his leg once they got onto the path.

"I learned to ride ponies here," Ronan said quietly. They walked around a log that lay in the middle, a jump maybe? "The Elvenprince taught me. We would spend hours out here. Then I learned to shoot from horseback." She pointed at a tree, a faded red circle on the trunk, two arrows stuck out of it, fine and clearly Elvish.

"What was it like, living with them?" Fili asked beside Kili.

"To be honest, it was nice. They healed me and fed me and made me healthy. When they couldn't contact any of my family – since I have none – they kept me, and taught me how to hunt and all that."

"When did they let you go?"

"Several years ago. I never settled anywhere, I just roamed."

"Must've roamed pretty well to stay out of Thorin's radar," Kili said. He couldn't fathom why the elves would save her – she was a dwarf. He hated dwarves!

"I never really talked to anyone. I did meet with Dain of the Iron Hills and stayed there for a bit. I didn't tell him everything I told you though. He only knew that my mother was killed and I barely got away. Worked for him."

They took a break after a few hours. "We should be there soon. Stay quiet and keep alert," Ronan warned, helping Fili to his feet.

Kili stiffly started moving again, his leg still aching a bit. He had taken some more gear from Ronan, making her pack lighter but still very heavy. Stuff was tied to the outside and it looked to be as heavy as her. They had little food, and he hoped that it would last until they found the others.

He was lost in thought, but he was jerked out of them when he was shoved aside, and tackled to the ground by Fili. Luckily, his unscathed arm was spared, but his other landed on a root.

Seven armed elves stood around them, seeming to be glowing softly, each holding a bow with arrows trained on the two brothers. Ronan stood a short distance away, in plain sight, and she was talking with a young, fair haired elf.

_Traitor. _He had realized what was happening before Fili, and he pushed his brother off of him. The elves had moved their aim as they moved. "Come with us, dwarflings, or we will kill you right now."

Kili and his brother exchanged a glance; Fili nodded and shrugged, getting to his feet.

"What do you want?" He spat, glaring at the elves. Kili tried to catch Ronan's eye, but she had turned her head away.

The elves started marching them down the path, and they soon came to the palace. It looked like Kili had pictured it to be, and several elves took the horses. The two dwarves were led into the castle, and the clean, white and silver and gold halls made them stop just to admire them.

"Continue, dwarflings," an elf snapped, and they resumed walking. They were ushered down some stairs into a dark cellar: dungeons.

Kili pressed closer to Fili, and they were both thrown into a cell. A dark haired elf slid the barred door shut, and they were thrown into darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

**I am so so so so so SO sorry for the delay! My teachers have decided to dump tons of tests and papers on me, and the majority of my classes are AP so I've been having very little free time. **

* * *

Thorin watched as the ponies trotted away from them, readjusting the pack on his shoulders. The rest of the dwarves stood around talking, and as soon as the ponies disappeared into the trees, Thorin led them into Mirkwood.

They had been told to stay on the path at all times, and not to drink from the stream with black water, as it would make them sick.

They travelled until night, and they made camp. Thorin stayed up even though Bifur was on guard, not being able to sleep. He didn't know why – was it that the didn't want to turn his back on the mysterious Mirkwood?

There was a light in the distance; Bifur perked up at it, getting to his feet.

"Don't Bifur," Thorin said. "We must not leave the path. You just watch it, it is not threatening us now."

Bifur grumbled in dwarvish, and sat back down. Thorin kept an eye on the light, and two more joined it. He could smell food wafting over from the general direction, and voices he would know anywhere. Elves.

He caught Bifur's eye, and the dwarf tilted his head a bit. Thorin shook his head. "We need to go. Now."

They gently woke the others, putting a finger to their lips. They silently packed, and in the almost nonexistant moonlight, hurried down the path.

* * *

Kili was pressed up against Fili, trying to ignore the fact that he was cold and wet. The elves had stripped them of their weapons, even the ones hidden by their clothing. Despite te grandeur of the castle, the dungeons leaked badly. The fact that there was a river nearby didn't help them very much, and both dwarves were damp and chilly.

He rested his head on Fili's arm, and his brother pulled him closer. Kili didn't know how long they had been down there. They had been given a little food, but it not neither filling nor tasty. It barely settled their hunger, and the elf who had stood guard at their cell had left several hours before.

He wondered where the rest of the company was, hoping that they had enough sense to avoid Thranduil's keep at all costs. He didn't even want to think about Ronan. The bastard had done a good job acting like she cared, and he hated that he had fell for the act.

The door opened, and a torch lit the small space. A fair haired elf held it, and inspected the two brothers carefully. He stepped towards them, and they cowered back.

"I don't want to hurt you," the elf said. "I apologize on bahalf of my father for the conditions you are being kept in. He is not very hospitibal as you can tell."

So he was a prince. That much Kili could have guessed, based off his fine clothing and demeanour. Fili was studying him, and Kili noticed that his brother had relaxed beside him.

"Make up your mind master dwarf, I cannot stay down here much longer."

"Fine, then. But see to my brother first," Fili said, pushing Kili a bit.

He glared at his brother, and the elf stepped forward. "Where are you injured?"

"Right here, on my arm." He pushed his shirt down his arm, revealing the gash. The elf reached into his satchel and pulled out a jar. Kili realized it contained the same substance that Ronan put on Fili's leg that drew out the infection and healed the scratches.

The elf applied it gently to his aching shoulder, and it immediatly sent a cooling sensation down his arm. He could feel it working, and he leaned against Fili as the prince took his boot off. He repeated the process with his leg, but it was almost healed anyway. He started tending to Fili next, massaging his bruised leg.

"I cannot do much with this – it is almost healed already. This will keep it from hurting any more, and it should speed up the healing."

"That is your name?" Fili asked as the elf applied a salve.

"I am Legolas, son of Thranduil," he said. "I do not know what my father plans to do with you. He refuses to tell me, but I promise to do whatever I can to keep you safe."

Legolas left silently, leaving the brothers to stare at each other in disbelief. Why was the prince trying to protect them?

* * *

The company had hurried through the forest all night, and as the sun rose, they could see their way around the logs in the middle of the path they kept tripping over. The whole place reeked of elves – the archery targets and large hoofprints in the soft ground. They had been here recently, training or on a patrol Thorin did not know.

They stopped to rest, digging in their packs for food that they could eat without having to prepare a fire. Luckily, Beorn was big on jerky. They had several different kinds, ranging from deer to elk, and Thorin wondered if Beorn had gotten them from his own animals. His deer didn't look lean enough to produce much meat, let alone the fine jerky. He also came across some bear, which made Thorin chuckle.

There was a loud crashing about 100 meters in front of them. The dwarves all drew their arms, expecting elves, but none came. Instead, Ronan stumbled out of some bushes, wandering aimlessly and muttering to herself. The shock of seeing her alive made Thorin speechless, and Balin found his tongue before he did. "Ronan, laddie, are you okay?"

She jerked her head up, eyes focusing on Thorin and then settling on the elder dwarf. "Balin – oh, no! Nothing is okay! I'm lost! We're all lost!" She stumbled towards them, and Thorin stepped forward and grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Ronan. Listen to me. Which direction did you come from? Are Fili and Kili with you?"

"They're dead!" She wailed, collapsing into him. "I couldn't save them, I swear!"

"Okay. Settle down, girl, settle down." He pulled her closer to him, and she buried her head into his chest. He wanted to scream, but forced himself not to. Why did his nephews have to die instead of her? He knew it was a bad thought, and tried not to think it, but it kept worming its way through his brain. "You're safe with us. Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine. We need to hurry. The elves train here, and they'll be here soon."

"Will it be safe to follow this path?" Dwalin asked, stepping forward. Ronan nodded. "Lead the way, then!"

They all followed her, and a horn pierced the air. "Quick, behind here!" Thorin said, gesturing towards a large tree off the side of the path.

"No! You shall not leave the pass!" Ronan protested. "The elves will not harm you, not while you're with me!" She grabbed Thorin's sleeve. "Please, Thorin. Don't you trust me?"

He tried to keep his gaze even, but he glanced down. "Thranduil and the line of Durin go back to Erebor. It will not be resolved because of you!"

Thorin tried to push past Ronan, who had stepped in front of him, but it was too late. A group of mounted elves had appeared, and were galloping down the path towards them. They all had bows strung, the grey and white horses pinned their ears and seemed to hold he same grudge against the dwarves as their riders. The rest of Thorin's group had come back out of the trees, surrounding Thorin protectively.

"Thank you, Ronan. That was easier than we could have imagined." The elf that seemed to lead the pack held out a hand to Ronan, pulling her into the saddle in front of him. "Tilther, Dellah, Rildir, make sure these dwarves stay in line. Everyone else, shoot if they try to get away." The elf turned his horse and rode away, taking the traitor with him.

* * *

Having renewed strength since his leg was finally healed, Fili began pacing. Kili hadremarked that he was going to wear a hole in the ground, but he just chuckled and continued walking back and forth.

"We're trapped, Kili. We can't get out, the elves are too numerous. We're not even armed!" He knew he was stating the obvious, but he still said it anyway. "Why did Legolas help us? Why would he disobey his father?"

"And you're the one talking," Kili muttered. Fili chuckled, knowing that he sounded like a blubbering idiot and that him and Kili had disobeyed their uncle too many times.

"I know, but still. He's a king!"

"Thorin's a king."

"Shut up, Kili. Yes, we disobeyed Thorin, but this is different." He paused, thinking, then resumed pacing. "I wonder where everyone else is. Are they through Mirkwood already? Is Thorin still alive?"

"He didn't look so good," Kili muttered. Fili sighed and plopped down on the ground, leaning against the wall, next to Fili.

"You're such a pessimist."

"I speak the truth. You're the downer."

They stopped talking, listening to the water drip down from the ceiling. Fili was less cold but still wet, which made the miserable experience even more miserable. He bagan to loose track of the time they spent sitting there. It must have been an hour or two – is bottom had started to ache and his legs were falling asleep from sitting for so long.

"Be quiet, dwarves!" An elf from down the hall shouted.

Kili and Fili exchanged a glance. "We didn't say anything!" Kili shouted back. There was no reply, but there were several crashing sounds from farther down. The noises grew closer, and in the dim light, Fili could see figures being pushed past the front of the cell. Kili rose and went to the front, where the bars were – it was the only wall not made of stone.

"Kili, it's probably nothing. Just get back here."

Kili shook his head, gripping the bars and not moving. He strained his neck, pushing his forehead against the gaps in between the steel.

"Kili? What is it?"

He turned around, sliding down the bars to the ground.

"Kili?"

"They have Balin!"


	13. Chapter 13

Bilbo had trailed the elves, and saw that they had taken the dwarves into seperate areas of the dungeons. He followed Thorin, who was taken deeper than the others. The king was thrown into a cell, and the elves bolted him in and left. Bilbo stayed pressed up against the wall, invisible with no shadow to give him away. Once he was sure it was safe, he slipped the ring off his finger and tiptoed over to Thorin.

"Bilbo! What are you-"

"Quiet, Thorin! They'll surely come back if they hear you talking."

Thorin had begun to work his jaw, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Are the others okay? Where are they?"

"I-I don't know!" the hobbit stuttered, and Thorin glared at him. "I followed you since I worried that they would hurt you. They separated all the others."

Thorin muttered something in dwarvish under his breath. "Go find them. I'm fine."

Bilbo gave a little bow and surried away into the darkness. He kept a hand on the wall and he soon located Dwalin, Bofur, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Dori, Nori and Ori. He wondered where the others – Balin and Bombur – were. He continued wandering, passing by Dwalin and Gloin several more times, until he found a new block of cells.

He peeked into the first one: empty, except for a skeleton. He thought that the elves would be a bit more clean. The second was empty, and the third was too. There was a large huddled form in the corner of the fourth – Bombur!

"Bombur!" Bilbo hissed. There was no response. He sighed. "Bombur!" He said a bit louder.

"Bilbo?"

The voice was not Bombur's. He distantly reconized it, but it didn't sound the same as he remembered.

"Bilbo!"

It was a different voice, this one he reconized.

"Kili? Fili? Is that really you?!"

"Yes! Bilbo, in Aule's name... I don't know if I should be happy to see you or not!" Fili ran forward, gripping the metal bars with both hands. "Er... well, I can't exactly see you..."

"Oh! Yes, sorry about that." Bilbo slipped the ring off of his finger. Fili jumped back a little, startled.

"Is it really you?" Kili asked, joining Fili at the door. He reached through the bars and pulled the hobbit forward, into a hug.

"Why are you here? Is everyone okay?" Fili asked.

"We were passing through Mirkwood and Ronan let them capture us!" He mumbled into Kili's arm. He pushed it away and continued. "Everone's fine – I think. I can't find Bombur and Balin though."

"I saw them. Well, Balin at least, but I think Bombur was with them. They went down there." Kili pointed to the left. "Go find them. We're fine – really."

"But Fili – your leg? Are you sure?"

"They healed us. Go! Find the others!" Fili gave him a little nudge.

"Wait – Bilbo?"

"Yes, Kili?"

"Is Thorin... dead?"

"Oh no master Dwarf, Thorin is just fine. There's no need to worry about him."

"Oh, thanks Durin... now go and find the others!"

Bilbo was reluctant to let them out of his sight, fearing that they would disappear again, or that he would wake up from this dream. He put his ring back on and scurried down, finding Balin and Bombur in adjacent cells.

"What is it, dear Bilbo? You look spooked!"

Bilbo gave a small laugh. "Well, I think our friends have come back from the dead!"

* * *

Thorin had been moving nonstop, going from pacing to running his hands along the wall, trying to find a crack so that he could bust out. He did manage to find a tiny flaw in the stone, where the hinges were on the door. He rammed his shoulder against it multiple times, but it didn't give.

He slumped against the wall. Bilbo had been gone for far too long. Had he gotten lost, or worse, captured? Everything that had happened that day swirled around in his head, and he didn't know what was true and what was false. He didn't even want to think about Ronan, about Fili and Kili's confirmed deaths.

Hours later, Bilbo returned. Thorin found it hard to muster up the energy to stand and greet him, but he did.

"Are they all safe, Bilbo?"

"Oh, yes Thorin! I found them all. They're all fine except for Bombur, who I think is hungry."

"We're all hungry," Thorin sighed. "Is there anything else you found out besides Bombur's problem?"

"Oh yes! It will make your day, I promise you." At that, Thorin gave Bilbo a confused glare. What did the hobbit mean? The day couldn't get any better, no matter what the news was.

"What would that be, Bilbo?"

"Fili and Kili are alive!"

He snorted. "That's impossible. They were too injured to survive the fall!"

"No, it's true! I saw them with my own eyes and I talked to them too! They said they were trying to find you with Ronan but she turned them in."

Thorin's stomach flipped. "Are they all right? Injured? Where are they?"

"They're fine! That's the thing. They said an elf came to heal them."

Thorin fell to his knees, clutching the bars tightly. His nephews were alive! It all seemed impossible, like some sort of messed up dream. Maybe he would wake up and he would be back home, or in the talons of the eagles. But he never woke, and Bilbo slipped away again and Thorin sank back into the dark corners of his cell.

* * *

Kili had a hard time sitting still. The cell he was in was about five meters by five meters, and with Fili sleeping smack in the middle of it, there wasn't much room for him to pace. He was exhausted, but couldn't sleep. The events of the day seemed so far away, but he didn't know what he was thinking about.

"Brother, come lie down! Please!" Fili said from the ground. Apparently Kili's grumbling and boots crunching on the occasional patch of loose rock had woken him.

He shook his head. "Can't sleep."

There was a sigh from his brother. "Everything's fine! You're too tired to sleep." Kili shot him a questioning look. "I mean, you're so tired but worked up you refuse to – you know what I mean."

Kili stopped at the wall, putting his forearms against the rough stone and leaning forward on them. "My mind won't stop working. I don't know if I _could _sleep."

"Come try. Please?"

He sighed, shaking his head. He reluctantly gave in, leaving the wall to lay next to Fili. He didn't realize how cold he was; Fili pulled him closer, and Kili let him. "We'll get out of here," his brother reassured him, though he sounded defeated. "Bilbo will find a way."

"I want to see Thorin." Kili knew he sounded like a child, but he couldn't help it. Days of not seeing his uncle made his heart ache. He still couldn't quite believe that he was alive; he had looked so bad last time he saw him. Fili put an arm over him and he turned so that they were laying, facing each other. It was dark, but dwarven eyes could see better in the dark than elven or human eyes. Fili stared back at him, and Kili realized how much he had changed since they set out from the Blue Mountains. His young face was tight, and the skin beneath his eyes was dark.

"What is it?"

Kili was jerked from his stupor. "Nothing."

Fili eyes him warily, then clutched the back of Kili's robe. "I worry about you, brother."

"You don't need to," he whispered back.

Fili opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. After a few more moments, he spoke. "Sleep, Kili. You need it."

Kili closed his eyes, shifting a bit on the cold, hard floor. He knew Fili was asleep beside him, based on his slow breathing. Hours passed and Kili remained restless, fiddling with his hair and braiding it. He had never liked braids, and his brother had constantly teased him about it. Even though braids would keep his hair from getting tangled up in the feather fletching of his arrows, he couldn't stand the thick braids pulling back on his head.

Bilbo returned, but left as he saw that they were sleeping. He distantly though he heard the sound of water, but told himself he was just imagining things since he was so thirsty and hungry.

Fili began to wake up, so Kili snapped his eyes shut and changed his breathing. His brother wiggled beside him, then stopped when he realized that Kili was "asleep". At some point, his exhaustion caught up with him, and Kili drifted off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Bilbo creeped into the small clearing, after a long corridor. Several elves sat on barrels, smoking their weed and laughing. They spoke in elvish, a tongue unfamilliar to the hobbit. Several more elves appeared and started emptying the barrels, which were full of fruits, vegetables, and other foods.

"Filbir, when do these barrels go back?" One of the unpacking elves asked. The smaller elf who was sitting on a barrel paused from his smoking to reply. "Tomorrow evening, Wimtir. We'll send them down to Laketown like normal.

Laketown! Thorin had mentioned that they were heading there – a dwarf could fit into those barrels. Maybe Bombur would be a squeeze, but he would fit. Wimtir put the lid on a barrel he had emptied and rolled it so that it was grouped with a bunch of others by the edge of the river. Filbir pulled a ring of keys from his cloak and tossed them in the air.

A hand darted out and caught them before Filbir could catch them. A taller, fair haired elf stood behind him, holding the keys.

"Legolas! Oh, you scared me!"

"My father has requested me to tend to the female dwarf's wounds," he said cooly. "So I'll be off with these now."

Filbir and his companion sprang to their feet and bowed, and Bilbo wondered why. This elf was not the king! He realized that Legolas was the prince after he had disappeared down the dark corridor carved from the earth, and he hurried after him.

They had been walking in the darkness for several minutes. "I know you are there, hobbit."

Bilbo froze, pressing up against the wall. How could Legolas have seen him? The elf only laughed and paused. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."

Bilbo stayed silent, not even breathing. Legolas sighed and started walking towards him, and groped around a bit until he found Bilbo's shoulder. "Let me see you now, master hobbit."

Bilbo hesitated, then slid the ring off his finger. Not wanting the elf to see it, he quickly wrapped his fingers around it. Luckily, he seemed to not notice.

"Now, listen to me. If my father finds you, you're dead. While I want to free you, I cannot. So, hobbit, if I were you, I would lie low until my father figures out what to do with your companions." Bilbo nodded, openmouthed. "Now, off you go. Lie low in an empty cell. I hope everything ends up well for you." Legolas gently squeezed his shoulder, then turned and disappeared into the darkness.

He quickly slid the ring back on and began to roam, not following Legolas' instructions. The barrels would hold a dwarf and get to Laketown, yes, and he knew who had the key that would free the dwarves. How could he get them all out, though? He tried to avoid the dwarves, not wanting to hear their shouted insults at the elves.

Later that night, he returned to the river and barrels. The same elves were there, drinking and singing. Filbir and Wintir were the loudest of all, and Bilbo noticed that the keys were laying unguarded on the table. Perhaps if he could sneak up and get them –

But no. The lights would surely cast a shadow, and they would see it. He would have to wait until they were asleep to take them. Besides, they would notice Bilbo and the dwarves if they snuck out now. He stayed for a few more hours, until the four elves retreated into a room. The hooting continued, then died down into nothing.

Bilbo creeped up to the room, and stood on his tiptoes to look through a window. The elves were fast asleep, ale gripped in their slender fingers. He turned back towards the table, where the keys lay. One was larger than the others, made of a rougher metal, like the cells. The picked the ring up, wincing as they jingled, and inspected it. He was no locksmith, but he was fairly sure that it would fit in the locks to the cells.

He put the keys back down and ran down the dark corridor, towards there Thorin was. The king was sitting against the wall, his eyes closed.

"Thorin!" Bilbo whispered as loud as he dared. The dwarf did not wake. Bilbo knealt down to the ground, searching around with his hand, until he found a nice sized pebble. He knew he would regret this later, but he stood and poked his small arm through the door, and flicked it at Thorin.

It hit him on the forehead, and he woke with a roar. He looked around, disoriented, swearing in dwarvish. He finalled came to his senses, and Bilbo slipped the ring off his finger. "What is it, hobbit?"

"I think I know of a way to escape!" He said, and Thorin perked up at once.

"Tell me your plan."

* * *

Bilbo had taken to wandering the next morning, since he had discussed the plan thoroughly with Thorin over the night. Thorin had drawn their plan of escape in the sand in his cell, and told Bilbo to inform the others of what had happened, and to tell them to get ready. Fili and Kili had been overjoyed at the thought of getting out of their dank cell and to see Thorin again.

Since he had nothing better to do, he began seeking out a quiet place to sleep. Hobbits were not very fond of water, so he would need all the energy he could get. He finally found a small nook in the stone away from the elves, and he curled up into a ball against the rock.

Bilbo was almost asleep when he heard footsteps. He didn't have his ring on – he had taken it off once he was folded into the darkness. He fumbled for it in his pocket, but the tip of his sword was already on his neck.

* * *

Going to leave it at a cliffie for you. I have *no* idea how much more I'm going to write, since I've been super busy lately. 


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